


Empty Halls

by Kayzo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 07:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayzo/pseuds/Kayzo
Summary: Sometimes, when Keith can’t sleep (and the nights he can’t sleep seem to be coming more frequently now), he’ll roam the castle halls and wait for the universe to make sense.
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Kudos: 5





	Empty Halls

The Castle of Lions always had a wrongness about it at night, when everyone was in their beds, tucked away from the main rooms, leaving the halls empty. It wasn’t _creepy_ , really—Keith lived alone in the desert in a shack for longer than he thinks it appropriate to admit to, based on Lance’s not so subtle comments—but it wasn’t _normal_.

The space was made for more than the seven of them; it was grand and large with more rooms than they could hope to use. There was a pool for goodness sake! The Castle of Lions was made for families; for multiple groups of people coming together as a community. The halls weren’t made to be silent and sometimes Keith thinks the castle knows it too.

(Keith tries not to think about Allura and Coran in these moments, about how they are living in what became their tomb, about how they must see the ghosts of this space better than anyone else, must know their names.)

So whenever Keith can’t sleep he takes to wandering the halls. He may not have the exuberance or poise of the last people that called this place home, but hopefully the castle appreciates it none the less.

Keith drags his hand along the wall. The metal is cool to the touch, an inviting chill that reminds him of the desert sun, though he can’t say why. The only sound is the pads of his fingers dragging against the surface, giving a soft tap every third step when his fingers graze over the seam that can barely be seen.

He doesn’t notice it at first, the low sound that doesn’t raise above a whisper. He actually notices it more when it stops—the absence of it making his ears twitch. Keith stills, lets his outstretched hand fall to his side, and waits.

It comes less than a minute later, a low sound that sustains for a long moment before drifting into silence again. Keith moves towards it, down empty hallways and dark corners, stopping whenever the sound starts to confirm his direction.

As he gets closer it becomes clear it’s a moan, a low, painful sound. Keith doesn’t need to stop to verify his direction anymore.

He runs the last stretch, not caring as his footsteps reverberate in the hall, stopping short in front of Shiro’s room. He holds his hand up to knock, hesitating in the air in between. He never used to knock. He had the code to Shiro’s apartment memorized, and Shiro’s chastisement in his ear enough to make him use it; _just let yourself in! You’re the one that got me hooked on Star Trek, if you make me miss anything good we’re getting anchovies on the pizza._ He’d ruffle Keith’s hair and drag him in under his arm, smile just so. He never followed through on his threats.

Keith takes a deep breath and lets it out in a forceful burst, opening the door. Shiro’s room looked exactly like his; desk to the left, chair pushed in with regulation neatness. Shelves built into the far wall with nothing on them. Bed suspended from the wall, thin blanket covering the man underneath.

It was enough to make Keith let out a distressed sound of his own—before biting his lip against it. Shiro wasn’t made for this. Shiro’s apartment had been overflowing with mementos; his shelves had been full of books and figurines, cool rocks, little plants, and anything else that had caught Shiro’s eye. Keith had sometimes thought himself one of those things—something that caught Shiro’s eye that wasn’t worth anything much at all, but was still looked after with such pleasure. Keith had never had full shelves or cluttered space, never knowing when he would be leaving this home for another, but there was something comforting about being able to be part of the clutter.

Keith wanted to turn right around and find odds and ends throughout the ship and fill the shelves, make the desk unusable around the things on it, but another low sound brought his attention back to Shiro himself.

Keith’s heart pulled again. Shiro had piles of pillows and blankets back home, soft and fluffy and everywhere. Especially his room—it always looked more like a blanket nest than the garrison furnished apartment bed it was. To see the single blanket thinned over wide shoulders hurt in a way Keith hadn’t been prepared to be hurt since he’d turned Shiro’s face toward him in that garrison tent back on Earth what felt like years ago.

“Mmmmh…” Shiro moans, shifting against something that’s not there, brow contorted in pain.

“Hey…” Keith gets out around his dry throat, all but falling across the space between them, “hey, you’re alright.” Keith bites his lip, hesitating a moment before setting his hand on Shiro’s shoulder, just above where metal met flesh.

Shiro lets out a hissing breath, curling in on himself. Keith’s stomach does the same.

“Calm down, you’re alright.” Keith rubs gently along Shiro’s arm, across the space that he’d been cut apart, exuding as much gentleness as someone like him can. He leans closer, setting his other hand against Shiro’s cheek, turning Shiro’s face towards him, “They can’t hurt you anymore.”

It comes out as a whisper wrapped in steal. Shiro’s body starts to relax, muscles going slack under Keith’s hands.

“They won’t hurt you ever again.”

Shiro shifts further into his pillow, breath even and deep.

“I won’t let them.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! This was a prompt fic i wrote originally on [tumblr](http://filthysweetie.tumblr.com/) that i quite enjoyed writing and hope you enjoy reading! I can’t really believe this is my first Voltron fic... better late than never :)
> 
> Comments are adored!


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